Avenged Sevenfold rocks Baltimore Arena

Avenge Sevenfold stormed into Baltimore Arena on their “Hail to the King” tour, along with the Deftones and Ghost B.C. The arena was packed with thousands of fans awaiting what would turn out to be a rocking show.

Ghost B.C., a Swedish heavy metal band took the stage first. The band dressed in hooded robes, and the lead singer dressed as a Roman Catholic Cardinal in skull makeup. When the band took the stage you could hear screams from the audience of “Papa …Papa… Papa.” The lead singer is known as Papa Emeritus while other members call themselves the “Nameless Ghouls.”

Deftones were next up. They took to the stage and launched into their first song of the night “Diamond Eyes.” Chino Moreno and the rest of the band energized the crowd as they jumped around the stage with fans rocking along.

Chino Moreno singing to the crowd at Baltimore Arena (Erik Hoffman)

The main act, Avenge Sevenfold was worth the wait. The band took the stage and oh boy did they have it all. The stage was set with pyrotechnics, a large skeleton sitting in a throne, a castle, and large circular television screens (or projections) that gave the audience plenty to view.

From their very first song “Shepherd of Fire,” Avenge Sevenfold grabbed the audience and didn’t disappoint. Lead guitarist Synyster Gates ripped several guitar solos throughout the night – setting fans into a frenzy as thousands sang and screamed nonstop.

A touching moment in the show happened about halfway through when the band played “Fiction,” the last song written by fallen band mate Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. In the background they presented a slideshow with images of The Rev. It was a touching memory to their drummer. The 28-year-0ld died Dec. 28, 2009 from combined effects of painkillers, anti-anxiety medication and alcohol in his home in in Huntington Beach, CA, according to the coroner’s report.

Throughout the rest of the show M. Shadows continued to engage with the audience and even called a fan up on the stage to sign his and his girlfriend’s tattoos with a sharpie.

A lucky fan meets his rock idle on stage (Erik Hoffman)

The arena crowd shouted and sang throughout the concert, especially when M. Shadows asked fans to remember the lyrics during the song “This Means War.”

Avenge Sevenfold still has a lot of dates left in their tour including sold out shows in Milan, Frankfurt and London’s Wembley Arena. Catch them while you can.

About the author

Erik Hoffman is a web designer and computer consultant. He has run a computer consulting company for the past four years where he enhanced businesses by designing and developing user-friendly websites that have helped companies reach targeted revenues. Contact the author.